A well behaved Gordon Elliott (left) and the less so Paul Carberry after the pair completed doubles© Photo Healy Racing
Galway Plate hero Road To Riches proved himself capable of making a mark at Grade One level with a resounding victory in the JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal.
Sent off a 9-2 chance after just failing to hold the evergreen Sizing Europe at Gowran on his previous start, Noel Meade's seven-year-old set out to make all in the hands of Paul Carberry and had all bar Rocky Creek in big trouble by the third-last fence.
Paul Nicholls' raider gave chase in vain and Road To Riches, who jumped very well despite edging left on occasions, went further clear to score by 11 lengths in the Gigginstown House Stud colours.< Don Cossack made it a red-letter day for Gigginstown when he captured the other big race on the card, the Powers Irish Whiskey Chase, to end the domination of the Nicholls team after six successful years.
Bryan Cooper led all the way on the Gordon Elliott-trained seven-year-old (6-4), who put in a splendid round of jumping and was always holding Nicholls' odds-on favourite Wonderful Charm winning by eight and a half lengths.
Elliott and Carberry teamed up to complete personal doubles when 2-1 favourite Vasco Du Mee jumped into the lead four out and quickly swept clear to take the Rainbow Communications Handicap Chase by an eased-down 31 lengths.
There was a shock for punters in what looked a pretty hot renewal of the Value Cabs 3-Y-O Hurdle when Eamon Delany's 50-1 shot Scooping made all under Conor Maxwell, finding plenty to win by three and three-quarter lengths after looking a sitting duck.
Jessie Harrington's 11-4 chance Rock The World won at the ninth time of asking when taking it up after the third-last under Robbie Power in the Tayto Group Maiden Hurdle and running on strongly to hold favourite Velvet Maker by four and three-quarter lengths.
There were plenty in with a chance going to the second-last in the Billecart-Salmon Handicap Hurdle, but Charles O'Brien's Stocktons Wing (6-1) was travelling powerfully and he proved best, forging a length and three-quarters clear under Mark Walsh.
